Tearing it down

[crazy steve]

... I wouldn't call that arm just a gusset. I'ts not there just to add strength.. it IS the strength of your whole right rear riding on that weld... especially side to side movement prevention. Also, welding may warp that arm and alignment is critical. Plus... I'm betting his (Andreas) won't be nearly as orange colored.. lol.

Just my 2 cents...

Tod

Tod, you need to take a closer look; that is just a gusset. I've got a swingarm sitting on my workbench right now (getting 'notched' for more tire clearance). The actual arm is behind that. This is a thin (.060") sheetmetal piece welded over the arm to the cross-shaft to help remove mostly sideways flex. Not to say it's not important; it is. That may not even be a crack but just a bit of undercutting from the original weld, as there's more than a bit of that on mine.

Interestingly, some the metal used in these is rather thin IMO. While the u-joint surround is fairly thick at .150", the driveshaft tube is only .100" thick. I'm replacing the piece I cut out with .125". At these thicknesses, you'll want to weld this with a wirefeed; you won't get enough heat into it to cause any warping with just a bit of care.

I'm hoping to gain at least an additional 1/4" of tire clearance (1/2" overall) which looks to give me quite a few more options in rear tire sizes, particularly with the 17" wheel.

I'll post pics if it all works out. (so, maybe .04 worth? LOL)

'78E original owner